Page:Works of Voltaire Volume 16.djvu/227

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Œdipus
205

PHORBAS.

Speak, speak, I say. Jocaste was his mother.

ICARUS.

[Looking at Œdipus.
Behold the fruit of all my generous care!

PHORBAS.

What have we done?

ŒDIPUS.

What have we done? I thought it must be so.

ICARUS.

My lord——

ŒDIPUS.

My lord—— Away, begone, this moment leave me:
The dreadful gifts ye have bestowed on me
Must have their recompense; and ye have cause
To fear my wrath, for ye preserved my life.


SCENE IV.


ŒDIPUS.

At length the dire prediction is fulfilled,
And Œdipus is now, though innocent,
A base, incestuous parricide: O virtue!
Thou fatal empty name; thou who didst guide
My hapless days, thou hadst not power to stop
The current of my fate: alas! I fell
Into the snare by trying to avoid it:
Heaven led me on to guilt, and sunk a pit
Beneath my sliding feet: I was the slave
Of some unknown, some unrelenting power,